MLB News: Baseball Hall of Fame Inducts Six New Members

On July 27, six new members were inducted into the baseball shrine in Cooperstown, New York, as the latest additions to the baseball hall of fame.

They were: Frank Thomas, Joe Torre, Tony La Russa, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Bobby Cox. The venue was packed with almost 50,000 people witnessing the event.

According to AP Sports, Thomas said, "I'm speechless. Frank Sr., I know you're watching. Without you, I know 100 percent I wouldn't be here in Cooperstown today. You always preached to me, 'You can be someone special if you really work at it.' I took that to heart, Pop." He added, "Mom, I thank you for all the motherly love and support. I know it wasn't easy."

Greg Maddux nervously gave his speech on Sunday afternoon. In a report by MLB.com, he said, "That was the first speech I've really ever given. I was kind of not sure what to expect. I actually really enjoyed writing it, because it made me think about where I started and how I got to this point, and about all of the people that helped me along the way."

Through the years, these six stars contributed to baseball in their own special ways. Maddux is one of the best pitchers in the history of the sport, with 3,371 strikeouts in over 5,000 innings and going 355-227 with an ERA of 2.50 or better in six seasons. He made the All-Star team eight times and won four Cy Young awards and 18 Gold Gloves.

Thomas had an OPS+ of 156 which is the 20th all-time best in the sport. He won AL MPV awards twice and was one of the best hitters ever.

According to CBS Sports, Tom Glavine is one of the best left-handers in baseball, going 209-102 with a 3.15 ERA during his prime. He won the Cy Young twice and was an eight-time All-Star. In terms of wins, he is 21st all-time.

Joe Torre is one of the best managers in baseball, handling various teams since 1977. He is best known for managing the New York Yankees, where the team won the World Series four times. He was Manager of the Year two times and he used to play in the MLB as a catcher and corner infielder.

Bobby Cox, also a manager, has a record of 2504-2001. He won Manager of the Year four times and is the fourth in terms of all-time wins. Tony La Russa won three World Series titles. He, along with Sparky Anderson, are the only skippers to garner a World Series title in each league.